My Test Readers and I are big fans of Mo Willems' books, particularly Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and Knuffle Bunny. But our current favorite is Leonardo, the Terrible Monster. It is a 2006 ALA Notable Children's Book for Younger Readers, and an excellent book for reading aloud with kids ages 3-6 (although the book itself gives age 36 as the upper limit!)It's the story of Leonardo, a monster who is terrible at being a scary monster. So, he decides to "find the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world and scare the tuna salad out of him."
After a great deal of research, he decides that a small boy named Sam is "the perfect candidate." Leonardo sneaks up on Sam and does his best scary monster stuff. Sam cries.
Before Leonardo can enjoy his success, however, Sam quickly gives him a long list of the real reasons he is crying—including stubbing his toe, having to clean bird poop out of his hair, and dealing with his mean big brother.
Leonardo thinks about Sam's situation for a minute, and then he makes "a very big decision. . . . Instead of being a terrible monster, he would become a wonderful friend."
It's a nice message with a wonderful presentation—for example, Sam's woes are all crammed onto one page, and my six year-old Test Reader loves it when I read them all quickly in one big breath. While the illustrations are muted in color, they are vivid in detail and expression.
